Point 2 Point returns Sept. 5, here’s what trail users need to know

Photo: Point 2 Point.

PARK CITY, Utah — Local trail users are being asked to plan ahead as the Park City Point 2 Point mountain bike race returns Saturday, Sept. 5, bringing racers across 75 miles of trail throughout the day.

This year’s course starts at Quinn’s Junction Recreation Complex in Round Valley and moves clockwise through Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort and Canyons Village before finishing at the Utah Olympic Park in Kimball Junction. Race organizers say the event is easy to avoid entirely if riders and hikers plan their day around the course.

Anyone heading out before noon should stick to trails in the Park City Mountain, Canyons Village and Utah Olympic Park areas, since those zones will see the bulk of race traffic later in the day. Trail users heading out after noon should instead plan around Deer Valley Resort, Round Valley and Lost Prospector, since the race field will have moved through those areas by then.

Defending champions face a stacked field

Course record holders Zach Calton and Chelsea Bolton are both back to defend their titles this year, but neither will have an easy path, said Steve Aderholt, Park City Point 2 Point race director.

On the men’s side, Aderholt said the field includes Matt Wilson, the New Zealander who took second at Leadville by a tire’s length behind Heber’s Keegan Swenson. On the women’s side, six-time USA Cycling mountain bike national champion Ashley Green will be pushing Bolton if she hopes to win a third straight P2P title, Aderholt said.

How the day will unfold

The race starts at 6:50 a.m. at Quinn’s Junction. By 7:45 a.m., the lead racers begin working their way back through the Quinn’s complex, crossing the road in front of the ice rink, with that flow continuing until about 8:15 a.m.

From 8 to 9:30 a.m., racers climb from Round Valley up Skid Row and into the Lost Prospector Trail System. All riders are expected to reach Lower Deer Valley at Deer Crest by 10 a.m., and the field continues moving through the Deer Valley area toward Park City Mountain Resort until around noon.

The crossing to Park City Mountain Resort on the Johns 99 trail, where the field really begins to spread out, runs from about 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. That section of trail descends, climbs and descends again before reaching the base of the First Time lift. The first riders are expected there around 11:30 a.m., though race organizers said the bulk of the field will likely come through closer to 1:45 p.m.

Riders have until 3:30 p.m. to clear the Park City Mountain Resort base area, and organizers said the last competitors will be departing right up to that cutoff.

The first finisher is projected to reach the Utah Olympic Park by 12:50 p.m., but most racers won’t cross the line until later. Organizers expect the bulk of finishers to come in between 3 and 5 p.m.

Fastest racers move on a tighter clock

For those trying to time their trail use around the leaders, the top 20 open-field racers are expected to move through the course well ahead of the main field. Organizers estimate the leaders will clear Round Valley by 7:30 a.m., cross Aerie Road by 7:45 a.m. and cross Mellow Mountain Road by about 8:05 a.m. They’re expected to cross Solamere Road around 8:15 a.m. and reach the top of the Deer Crest gate by 8:30 a.m.

From there, the fastest riders should pass through Silver Lake at Deer Valley by 9:15 a.m. and hit the TG trail off Guard Road by 10 a.m. Organizers project the leaders will reach the Park City Mountain Resort base area by 11:15 a.m. and the Colony support station on the Mid Mountain Trail by noon, before finishing at the Utah Olympic Park in Kimball Junction as early as 12:50 p.m.

Organizers thanked the community in advance for its patience and cooperation in helping the race run smoothly.

Community members can follow racers along the course on race day through the live tracking timing system.

A few volunteer spots also remain for the race and can be filled out through the race’s volunteer signup page.

A full interactive map of the 2026 course is available on Trailforks.